Boat canopy holding means



Feb. 6, 1968 M. H. OLINK BOAT CANOPY HOLDING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1966 M S v 5: 5 .w m v u R 5:; :2: m N 0 w 1 mw w 5 MG \w n W A km m Y B mm mmlN rm Feb. 6, 1968 M. H. OLINK 3,

BOAT CANOPY HOLDING MEANS Filed March 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet Jrrozmsrs United States Patent Ofiice 3,367,349 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 3,367,349 BOAT CANOPY HOLDING MEANS Maurice H. OLink, St. Cloud, Minn., assignor to Stearns Manufacturing Company, St. Cloud, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 534,011 2 Claims. (Cl. 1356) ABSTRACT OF THE DlSQLUSURE An adjustable structure to accommodate and secure various sized canopies to a boat and consisting of a rail adjustably secured to the gunwale of a boat carrying slidable means for securing the supporting struts of a boat canopy and carrying slidable locking means securing the canopy.

The invention herein relates to an improvement in means for anchoring or securing a canopy onto a boat.

A conventional canopy construction comprises a sup porting frame which is secured at its forward edge por tion to the upper edge of the boat windshield and the frame will have rearward depending arms adapted to be bolted as to the adjacent gunwale portion of the boat. There is no adjustment in the attachment of a canopy and bolt holes must be drilled individually for each arm of each canopy for a suitable fit. Hence it is necessary to individually fit canopies onto boats and it is impractical to pre-drill a boat to provide bolt holes in an attempt to readily accommodate any given canopy.

It is desirable to have adjustable means for securing a canopy to a boat whereby said means will accommodate whatever canopies are suitable for a given boat.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide an adjustable canopy securing means for a boat, said means being arranged and constructed to accommodate any canopy of conventional construction suitable for a given boat.

It is another object of this invention to provide a standard canopy securing means arranged for installation on a conventional boat and adapted to accommodate any conventional type of canopy suitable for any given boat.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide a fitting to be mounted on the gunwale of a boat, said fitting comprising a rail and a bracket adjustable on said rail to be engaged by and secure the supporting member of a canopy.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in connection with said rail in the object immediately above, adjustable means to secure the cover portion of a canopy.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a canopy mounted onto a boat;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 as indicated;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 as indicated, showing a portion of the invention in detail;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 taken on line 44 of FIG. 1 as indicated;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 55 of FIG. 2 showing another detail of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of a boat in side elevation with a portion broken away, showing a composite view of canopies with portions thereof in dotted line shown secured in different positions;

FIG. 7 is a detail of the invention shown on an enlarged scale in perspective; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view showing a detail of the invention on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, a conventional type of boat 10 is shown comprising a bow 11, a stern 12, the cockpit 13, and a gunwale 14. Said boat is shown equipped with a windshield 16 and a conventional type of canopy 20.

Said canopy overlying said cockpit portion of said boat comprises a top or covering 21 secured in a conventional manner by snap buttons 23 at its forward or leading edge to the upper edge portion of said windshield.

Supporting said canopy are strut members comprising a curved bow strut 28 suporting the upper rear portion of the canopy top and a second curved bow strut 29 supported by said first bow strut and being angled forwardly thereof. Said bow strut 28 has depending arm portions 28a having apertured end portions 28b.

The invention herein is described as follows. A device comprising a canopy holding means is indicated generally by the character 30 and is shown in the form of a rail arranged and constructed to be mounted onto said gunwale 14. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, said rail 30 extends about said boat from the forward portion of said cockpit from one side of said boat to the other. It will be understood that said rail may be more limited in its extent.

Said rail 30 may be formed of a suitable material such as aluminum, which may be readily extruded in a desired configuration. Said rail 30 has a dome or top portion 31, a bottom 32, and sides 33 and 34.

Formed in the bottom 32 of said rail 30 substantially centrally longitudinally thereof is a T slot 36 adapted to receive and retain spaced headed bolts 37 by means of which said rail will be secured to said boat. Said bolts will extend through appropriately drilled holes 14a vertically disposed through said gunwale and will be held therein by lock nuts 38.

Said rail 30 has a side 34 with its facing surface substantially in a vertical plane and being formed to have therein a relatively wide shallow open faced vertically disposed slot 39 forming opposed shoulders 40 and 41, said slot extending into and undercutting said shoulders to form opposed grooves 42 and 43. Formed in the inner wall 46 of said slot 39 extending centrally therealong is a tapered recess 50.

Adapted to cooperate with said slot 39 is a canopy retaining member here shown in the form of a stud 52 having a cylindrical shank portion 52a and a relatively flat head portion 52b constructed to extend into and be retained by said grooves 42 and 43 and to slide freely within said slot 39. Said shank will receive thereon the apertured end portion 28b. Said stud as here shown is axially tapped to have a retained member 54 received therein. Said retaining member is shown in the form of a headed bolt 56 having its shank 56a threaded through said stud to engage the tapered walls of said recess 50 to lock said stud 52 into a given poisition relative to said rail 14. The head of said bolt 56 is shown as being knurled for ease of manipulating.

The side 33 of said rail is shown inclined having a longitudinal groove 57 extending along and adjacent its upper edge portion and having a groove 58 formed in the lower corner portion of said side and extending therealong. Said groove 57 is disposed to be inclined somewhat upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane. Said groove 58 has an upper wall 580 which is inclined upwardly and inwardly. Said grooves 57 and 58 are disposed to be parallel to one another.

Slidable in said grooves 57 and 58 and overlying said wall 33 are a plurality of brackets 60 of which one such bracket is here shown and described. Said bracket 60 shown comprises a fiat web portion 61, an upper inwardly turned flange or leg 62 adapted to seat and ride within said groove 57 and a lower flange or leg portion 63 having an upwardly inclined reverse bend therein to seat into said groove 58 as illustrated. Said leg portion 63 has a sufficient height to support said web portion 61 at somewhat of an angle relative to the plane of said surface or side 33 whereby said web yields somewhat in the direction of said side 33.

Said bracket 60 is shown carrying projecting therefrom the male portion 23a of said snap lock 23. The top or covering 21 of said canopy at its lower side portion 21b will have secured thereto the female portion 23b of said snap lock 23.

Operation The rail 14 preferably will be mounted onto a boat at the time of its construction. Reference is had to a boat having an open cockpit for which a canopy may be desired for overhead cover. It is understood that the rail 14 may be installed onto a boat at any time after a boats construction as an attachment therefor.

The rail may extend about a boat embracing the cockpit area as illustrated, or may comprise a length at either side of the cockpit area to accommodate and secure a canopy. The securing of the rail 14 is believed to be well understood from the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, a composite view of several representative types of canopies is shown to indicate the various different locations required for fastening means to engage and secure the strut members and top covers of said canopies. The variations in the structure of one canopy compared to another are sufiicient as to ordinarily require a special or tailored fitting of any canopy for a given boat. No such problem as above indicated exists in securing the forward edge of the canpoy covering to the upper edge of the windshield.

The invention herein provides for substantial adjustment in holding means to secure a canopy.

The retaining member will be removed from the stud 52. The stud will be positioned with respect to the strut 28 to have the apertured end 28b of said strut placed over the shank 52a. The retaining member is then threaded through said stud to engage the tapered recess 50 to lock said stud in position.

The brackets 60 are readily slidable along said rail 14 to be positioned to engage and have secured thereto the lower rearward side portions 21b of the cover of said canopy 20.

The invention herein thus provides adjustable canopy holding means to accommodate any conventional type of canopy suitable for a given boat without any prefitting or special fitting required other than the range of adjustment made available by the invention.

It is seen that I have provided a simple and expedient canopy holding means which has proved to be very satisfactory.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A canopy attaching means for a boat having in combination,

a rail mounted on the gunwale of said boat,

a T slot extending upwardly of the bottom of said rail,

a plurality of headed bolts slidably disposed in said slot and extending through said gunwale,

said rail having opposed substantially vertically disposed side walls,

one of said side walls having a vertical slot therein extending therealong and having a pair of vertically opposed grooves therein,

a retaining member for a canopy supporting strut slidably disposed within said vertical slot and comprising a fiat head portion within said slot engaged in said opposed grooves and a tapped shank portion extending outwardly of said head portion, a headed bolt disposed through said shank to lockingly engage the inner wall of said slot, said bolt being adapted to be disposed through the apertured end of a canopy supporting strut,

the other of said sides having a longitudinal groove extending along and adjacent the upper edge portion thereof and a longitudinal groove formed in the lower corner portion of said last mentioned side, said upper groove being inclined upwardly and said lower groove having inwardly and upwardly inclined walls,

a bracket slidable in said grooves of said other of said sides, said bracket comprising a fiat web portion, a leg portion disposed in the upper of said grooves and a leg portion disposed in the lower of said grooves of said last mentioned side, said leg in said lower groove having a greater length than the depth of said groove positioning said web portion to be angled away from the surface of said last mentioned side in the direction of said lower groove, said web being sufficiently resilient to yield to pressure to spring said lower leg portion out of said lower groove, and fastening means carried by said web portion.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1,'wherein a V groove extends centrally longitudinally of the inner wall of said slot of said first mentioned side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,242 3/1918 Ramsey 248-307 2,570,911 10/1951 Birdlebough -6 2,605,871 8/1952 Kress et al. 52--718 2,937,652 5/1960 Zimmer et al. 1356 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

